Improvement in corn-harvesters



3 Sheets-Sheet 1. S. S. JOHNSTON.

. CORN-HARVESTER. No.177,644. Patented May 23,1876.

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CORN-HARVESTER.

Patented May 23,1876.

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4 CQRN-HARVESTER. Nov-177.644. Patented May 23,1876.

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ATTORNEY,

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UNITED STATES SAMUEL S. JOHNSTON, OF POLO, ILLINOIS.

, IMPROVEMENT IN CORN-HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1 77,644, dated May 23, 1876; application filed October 9, 1875. v

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL S. JOHNSTON, of P010, county of Ogle and State of Illinois,

.have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Corn-Harvesters, of which the.

embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top view.

Fig. 3 shows the guides and device for their elevation. Fig. 4 shows the screw I and gage K. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of inclined ways 0 O and elevator X. Fig. 6 shows a side and top "iew of the husking-wheel R. Figs. 7 and 8 are detailed views. 7

A represents a frame-work of suitable construction to contain the various working parts of my machine, and supported at the rear by two smaller wheels, B B, and at the front-by two larger wheels, 0 0. Suitable shaftsand single-trees are attached to the front end of the frame A for the attachment of the team to pull the machine. At the lower front edge of the frameA are hinged guides D and D D, for conducting the corn-stalks into the proper channels for having the ears cut from the same,

the machine being intended to operate upon two rows of corn at one time. The guides D D are constructed as shown, and are connected by rods a a with chains b I) attached to a roller, E, in the upper portion of the front part of the frame. This roller is provided with a lever, G, which may be held in any desired position in a rack-bar, H, so that the guides D D may be adjusted and held at any desiredv angle. Between each side of the center guide D and each side guide D is left a narrow passage, e, through'which the cornstalks pass, and on the outer side of said passage is a screw or auger, I, to feed the stalks along, and prevent them bending forward or dog ging the machine. On theinner side of each cut by the stalks.

passage 0 is an endless elevator, J, to the frame of which, alongside of the, passage, is secured a knife, d.. Over the screw or anger I is an adjustable gage, K, which forces the stalks against the knife 01, so that said knife will cut off the ears of corn, which will then fall upon and be carried up by the elevator J. At the upper end of the gage K is a knife, f, extending inward over the elevator, to cut Off any ears of corn not cut offby the knife 01, and prevent the same from passing The two screws or angers I I are at their upper ends provided with miter-Wheels h h, gearing with similar wheels '0' t, on a shaft, L, and this shaft is, by suitable gearing, connected with a cog-wheel, M, secured on the side of the driving-wheel G, and thus the angers are driven from said wheel 0. On the shaft L is a pulley, 70, connected by means of a chain, m, with a pulley on a shaft, n, passing through the upper rollers of the elevators J J, so that said elevators will be operated by the same. The cars of corn bein g carried up by the elevators J J are deposited by them in a hopper or chute, N, from which they pass between inclined ways 0 0, within a case, P, against the sides of a revolving bushing-wheel, B. This wheel is constructed, as shown, with radial cutting-teeth,

a, on both sides, and mounted upon a shaft, 19. These teeth out and tear the husks'off from the ears, the husks falling down into a receptacle, S, from which they are carried up by an elevator, T, having on its under side, near the.

upper end, a suitable spout, V, for the attachment of a sack to receive the husks. The husks may be packed into this sack by means of a pounder, W. After the husks have been stripped from the ears the latter are caught and carried up byan elevator, X, having a hinged spout or chute, Y, at its upper end to conduct the ears to a wagon that is to be driven alongside of the harvester. The elevator T is driven by a belt or chain from a pulley on the shaft on, while the husking-wheel B and elevator X receive their motion from a cog-wheel, Z, secured on the driving-wheel O, which cog-Wheel is by gearing connected with a shaft, 8, having pulleys t t, and these pulleys are by belts or chains suitably connected with pulleys on the husking-wheel and elevator-shafts. The rear wheels B B are mounted upon spindles in a pivoted frame, A, having a central forward-projecting arm, B which, by suitable cords or chains '11 'v, is connected with a Windlass, E, situated between the two elevators J J, so that by turning said windlass the harvester may be guided as desired. At one end of the Windlass is a ratchet-wheel, to, into which takes a pivoted pawl, y, and this pawl is, by a cord or chain, 2, connected with a bar, G, hinged on the main frame, and held down on the same by a spring, a. From the hinged bar G project two pins, 1) I), downward through the frame, to hold the tongue or bar B in proper position, so that the wheels B will be held to cause the machine to move in a straight line.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The guides or gatherers D and D D, hinged to the frame, and operated by means of the rods to, chains b, roller E, with lever G and rack H, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

2. The screw or auger feed devices I 1, arranged on the outer sides of the spaces 0 e, in combination with the knives d d, and elevators J J, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

3'. The adjustable gage K, with knife f at its upper end, in combination with the screw or auger I and elevator J, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

4. The combination of the husking-wheel R, receptacle S, husk-elevator T, having spout V, and corn-elevator X, having hinged spout or chute Y, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I hereunto affix my signature this 28th day of September, 1875.

SAMUEL S. JOHNSTON.

Witnesses:

OnAs. F. BARBER, H. M. OLoPrER. 

